Chefs A' Field: Kids on the Farm

Walnut Shaking: Chef Michael Mina & Sons-Sacramento Valley & San Francisco, CA#102Michael Mina Restaurants - San Francisco, CA; Carriere Farms - Sacramento, CA Michael Mina is considered by many to be one of the world's best chefs. In this episode, Chef Mina and his two sons, Sammy, age 8, and Anthony, age 4, head to the Sacramento Valley, where the walnut trees are in season and ready for the picking. But picking isn't exactly how they harvest a tree exploding with nuts. Instead, the boys climb into a real-life Tonka# truck from which they literally shake the trees-using long pinchers attached to mechanical arms. The earth rumbles and a fireworks display of walnuts comes raining down, to the delight of the excited children below. Fourth-generation farmer Bill Carriere and his three children lead the way as the Minas follow along, eating, tasting and learning about the walnut. Recipes: Brown Sugar-Walnut Ice Cream; Blue Cheese & Walnut Souffles; Watercress & Walnut Salad; Walnut & Seasonal Fruit Tart Tan Tins.

California Strawberries: Chefs Mitch & Steve Rosenthal & Kids - San Francisco, CA#104Town Hall Restaurant - San Francisco, CA; Ramirez Family Farms - Salinas, CA The California strawberry is the star of this show filmed overlooking the misty shores of Monterey Bay. The Pacific breezes and warm California sun nurture a berry so sweet that it is the choice of chefs from around the world. In this episode, great cooking runs in the family as two chefs, brothers Mitch and Steven, show their kids how to cook sweet and savory dishes with this juicy berry. In the field, Mitch and his kids meet farmer Victor Ramirez and his two daughters; the kids happily pick-and eat-their way through the berry rows. The kids also get a lesson in entomology and botany from the "bug detective." Farmer Ramirez shows how a flower becomes fruit, and bug detective Eduardo is on hand with a microscope to show the kids the difference between "good bugs and bad bugs." Recipes: Local Trout with Strawberry Salad; Homemade Strawberry Preserves; Strawberry, Priscutto & Arugula Country Biscuits; Miniature Strawberry Tart Surprises.

Seed-Saving & Heirloom Veggies: Chef Joseph Wrede & Kids - Santa Fe & Taos, NM#106Joseph's Table Restaurant - Taos, NM; Rancho la Paz Farm - Santa Fe, NM Considered one of the Southwest's modern culinary pioneers, Chef Joseph Wrede creates classic dishes with "chili pepper flair" at Taos' esteemed Joseph's Table restaurant. The chef and his two children pull on their boots for a day of discovery at Rancho la Paz, a tiny but glorious farm nestled along the Rio Grande in the southern Rocky Mountains. As they attempt to sample 96 kinds of tomatoes, 32 types of basil and 47 varieties of sweet and spicy peppers, the bounty is ripe for the picking at this experimental organic farm. In a magical tunnel of gourds, the children are transported to the pages of a fairytale where their eyes pop with amazement. As Chef Wrede helps his kids plant next season's harvest, they get a lesson in how to nurture and preserve seeds for the future. Recipes: Seven-Tomato Gazpacho; Seared Herbed Shrimp; Heirloom Carrot & Beet Sauced Fish.

Hill Country Venison: Chef David Bull & Sons - Texas Hill Country#109Restaurant August - New Orleans, LA; The 'Anna Marie' Shrimp Boat -Cocodrie, LA What happens when a former Marine, a 10-year-old boy and a bayou shrimp-boat captain get together for a day out at sea? The Marine, Chef John Besh, and his son Brendon get an unexpected lesson in marine biology, and the captain, Lance Natzio, is let in on a few culinary secrets for preparing his freshly caught Louisiana wild shrimp. The journey begins in the pitch-black pre-dawn hours on a sleepy Louisiana bayou. The waters come to life at sunrise, offering a bounty of sea life and surprises. Porpoises and turtles dive alongside the boat as we fish the open waters. The hard work of pulling in nets is second nature to Chef Besh, who grew up hunting and fishing in the area and is now one of America's top chefs. Brendon is wide-eyed and all smiles as he sorts through a cornucopia of gigantic, fresh shrimp he can't wait to sink his teeth into. Then it's into the kitchen, where Brendon and his dad show the rest of the family just how the cookin' is done.Recipe: Wild Louisiana Barbeque Shrimp Besh Style; Tempura Fried Wild Louisiana Shrimp with Vietnamese Spicy Sauce; Southern Grits and Spicy Louisiana Wild Shrimp.

Ice Cream, from a Cow: Chef Bill Telepan & Daughter - New York City & Ancramdale, NY#111Telepan Restaurant - New York, NY; Ronnybrook Farm - Ancramdale, NY James Beard Award winner Bill Telepan garners reviews that rave about the "clarity and focus of his food...elegant without gimmickry" (Gourmet) and that commend his cuisine for "[putting] its faith in fundamental virtues; its freshness, the pureness or punch of the flavors; the skill with which it's been cooked" (The New York Times) - so it is no surprise that a trip to the farm happens regularly. Accompanied by his daughter, as he often is, Chef Telepan heads out on a milking adventure with farmer Ron Ronnybrook in upstate New York. "Hopelessly out of date, and proud of it," says Ron while milking and making milk products the way his family has for three generations, in small batches, delivered at peak freshness, pasteurized and hormone-free. Recipes: Winter Beet Salad with Ronnybrook Yogurt-Dill Dressing; Fresh Farm Egg Fettuccine with Cauliflower, Black Pepper & NY Farmer's Cheese; Vanilla Winter Pudding with Caramelized Hudson Valley Oranges; Fresh Cows Ice Cream.

The award-winning, critically acclaimed series Chefs A’ Field offers a new batch of culinary adventures for all ages. In Chefs A'Field: Kids on the Farm, America’s best chefs and their kids venture to farms, fishing boats and ranches to discover the origins of great food. Together, the families explore America's diverse food landscape, from shrimping in a Louisiana bayou to sampling heirloom tomatoes in Taos, New Mexico, to cheese-making in the rolling hills of southern Wisconsin. The series features exclusive glimpses into some of the country's finest restaurants, along with family-friendly cooking lessons.